To be honest, I did not want to like this pen. I seriously did not want this pen to be a good pen. I do not know why. Maybe because it is black with silver-toned accents and I prefer gold, but the gold accents in this pen held no appeal to me, either. Or, maybe I did not want something... ordinary. I bought the pen in my hunt for less expensive, good writing pens that I can use without reservation and be happy with the writing experience in this day of the shrinking dollar, as well as recommend as a good starter pen to students, coworkers, etc.
Well, shoot me. I like this pen.
KAWECO DIA
First impressions
The box is nothing fancy at all. Just a plain, simple, black velvet pen gift box. Inside, the first glimpse of the pen was, "oh, ok." Again, nothing that jumped out at me to make me think this pen was anything special.
Appearance
Gotta use it: Classic black, with silver accents.
The pen is sleek and appealing.
The clip is the fanciest part of this pen, and it is quiet in itself. It has very simple curves, with a few simple lines engraved that vaguely said to me, "art nouveau." It is a heavy clip, without sharp edges to catch on fabrics knit, linen, leather or otherwise. The flash on my camera makes it look like there are wide, grooved metal bands on the pen, when actually it is just the flash reflecting on the grooves carved into the black finish. The silver bands are a double band at the caps edge, one very thin band at the bottom of the pen, a wider band at the top of the section, and a small double band just at the base of the nib. It's actually very simple and very nice styling. The "jewel" on the cap is a small, silver disc engraved with the Kaweco tri logo, and is raised very slightly in the center. Kaweco DIA Germany is engraved on the back of the cap near the clip band and is not as noticable as the flash on my camera would make it.
Design/size/weight
I think the DIA flows along the same lines as the old-style Mseries Pelikans, not quite as flashy and more quiet compared to the moden Pelikans. It is only a tad longer than my M600, and slightly less in girth. It posts very well, and is not unbalanced when posted. As for weight, I'd say it is just a smidge heavier than my M600, but not by much. The DIA retains it's own identity in the grooved style bands. The cap is solid, and it is a snap cap, not threaded. It snaps into place with a firm click, and it doesn't move about at all. It stays put when posted, as well.
This is a picture of the pen sandwiched between my "old-style" M150 and my M600 Pelikans to give a size comparison (finally, an almost decent picture from my camera):
Nib
This is a fine, steel nib, nicely engraved with a simple design and the Kaweco tri logo. It is the rigid nib with little or no flex, but it does not feel stiff. It writes without hiccups and stutters, but then I've just gotten the pen and we'll see how it holds up. Right now, I like how it writes. Smooth is an overused word, but it fits. I can feel the paper, but it is not a toothy or scratchy feeling at all. I simply know that I am putting ink to paper, without effort. I won't say it glides, it is just "right," and I have no other adjective to describe it at the moment. The tines appear to be perfectly aligned. The line it lays down, to me, is between a fine and medium line, with a slant to the fine. I like it.
This is not a good picture of the nib, but the Kaweco page the ISellPens link above has an excellent nib shot.
Filling system
Cartridge/converter. It uses standard international cartridges, short or long, and it came with a standard plastic piston converter. This pen, though, just begs to be a piston filler. Ah, well.
Cost
A moderate (my definition of moderate) $65. It's a size comparable to the M600 Pelikan with an M200 price (actually less than the M200 now). The only drawback in this comparison being the DIA is a cartridge/coverter pen, and the M200 a piston filler. Nonetheless, this is a good, solid pen under $100 that should last and keep one with comfortable company through many a school class or business meeting.
Conclusions
I think this is where I have to come to terms with my disdain of "classic black pens." Up until now, the only all-black pen I was carrying around was my VP in black with gold trim. I have stayed far away from black pens with silver accents. These pens, these "classic black pens," are the ones I always perceived to be used by the bankers, the lawyers, and the feds. Huh. Can we say, "red tape," "bureaucracy," and "snooty?" That's just how I saw it growing up. A lot of money and reputation with nothing but a "classic black pen" to back it all up, using it with flourish to sign the deeds and contracts, but giving the customer the cheap promo ballpoint with the company name misprinted on the barrel for a souvenir. Yeah. Ok. Breathe.
This pen is the "classic black pen" without being in-your-face snobbery. This is the pen of the true mind and worker, the new college professor vs the been-there-forever university dean, the small town mayor vs The Hill, the local credit union vs Chase Manhattan, the serious grad student at State vs the Ivy League diploma floating by on old money. All done with quiet class. Ok, it's a "quiet, classic black pen." Similar to the Pelikan, but in a class by itself, and one I would be confident in carrying to my next class or meeting without threatening either the goth chick next to me or the tenured professor lecturing in front of me. It's a pen to get the job done effortlessly and without any preconceived status baggage. (No offense was meant to any university deans, congressional members, Wall Street, or Ivy League alumni - it's just a comparison in my own, opinionated mind.)
Uh, I did add my own fun, though. Since I received a bottle of Noodler's Navajo Turquoise from Todd in the same shipment...
It is now my quiet, classy black pen, with a little glimmer of mischief included.
This pen has grown on me.
